I think those are different. I say "y'all" because I grew up in the southern US, and we recognize the need for a proper second-person plural here. Not everybody

I think those are different. I say "y'all" because I grew up in the southern US, and we recognize the need for a proper second-person plural here. Not everybody likes that word, but I'm not saying it in order to annoy them. On the other hand, the very thing that DEFINES a swear word is that everyone knows that it's offensive. To choose a word BECAUSE it's offensive, then demand that people not be offended by it, is silly.